The start of a new semester hails the start of the new challenges to face and lessons to learn. This includes the lesson we have previously discussed.

Which I liked least?

                There are a few things that I found that I least liked. It is really hard to list a number of things I liked least because most were agreeable. However I’d still list a few.

A lot of graduates from the country are unemployed. Those who are not graduates with flying colors have lesser chances of getting employed and those with no work experience. So most graduates from the country ended up going abroad to work. It’s very unfortunate that our people are not working for our own country. Our own people are working under another country and instead they are helping another country. Yes it’s good to help however with our economy we should prioritize the rise of our country instead of another.

According to estimates by the National Statistics Office (NSO), 42 percent of the 2.8 million unemployed in 2011 were college graduates, while 50.4 percent of the unemployed were 15 - 24 years old.

The Commission on Higher Education estimates that roughly 517,000 new college graduates join the labor force every year. This figure is cited in the Project JobsFit study of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in 2009 wherein five industries are identified as key employment generators or sources of job vacancies: cyberservices; hotels and restaurants; construction; health and wellness; and aviation.

These sectors have among the mostly number of hard-to-fill occupations, which refers "to job vacancies for which an establishment has encountered difficulties in managing the recruitment process for reasons such as no applicants, applicant’s lack of experience, skill or license, preference for working abroad, seeking higher salary or problem with location and other reasons."

I have high hopes that the graduates of our country either successful or not would create a group or a movement. A movement that pursue the mission of providing jobs for the people of our country. Every graduate should have it in them to help. We are a country with a lot of man power but we are not able to utilize it since we can’t provide jobs. But the people aren’t also thinking of starting their own business instead they have been living and following the norm, which is to graduate then look for a job.

It was disheartening to hear that our graduates are working in another country. I have high hopes for the people in our country the same as Dr. Jose Rizal I believe that the young are the future of our country. If we won’t help our country the same way that it has helped us achieve and receive our diploma then our own country has wasted a good plant only to be stolen by others. We as scholars should have repaid our country but even if we are not we have that obligation. If you don’t forget the country where you were born or your parent, even you ancestors then don’t leave it and prosper in another country. We need to be the start. We have to start.

Everyone have talent and we are all smart but most don’t know how use it as an opportunity. Most would end up lazily staying at home not doing anything progressive. At this age most students are prone to procrastination and day dreaming. We are just waiting and waiting for something to happen. But, how will we know when it’s already there? Why don’t we work and make it happen. That’s mostly the problem of the people in our country. We don’t have initiative. We are not business minded. We were molded into someone who are born to work for others. We are actually potentially capable of owning our own company. If only we have the champions mentality. We shouldn’t be mainstream and think of others ways instead of waiting for an opportunity to come. Instead, let’s be the opportunity!

The following are 10 Things mentally strong people don’t do.

1. They don’t waste time feeling sorry for themselves 

Mentally strong people don’t sit around feeling sorry about a lost game or how others in game have treated them. Instead, they take responsibility for their actions and understand that LoL isn’t always easy or fair.

2. They don’t shy away from change 

Mentally strong people don’t try to avoid change.

3. They don’t waste energy on things they can’t control 

You won’t hear a mentally strong person complaining over things they can't control. Instead, they focus on what they can control in the game. And sometimes they recognize that the only thing they can control is their attitude.

4. They don’t worry about pleasing everyone 

They recognize that they don’t need to please everyone all the time. They’re not afraid to say no or speak up when necessary. They strive to be kind and fair, but can handle other people being upset if they didn’t make them happy.

5. They don’t fear taking calculated risks 

They don’t take reckless or foolish risks, but don’t mind taking calculated risks. Mentally strong people spend time weighing the risks and benefits before making a big decision, and they’re fully informed of the potential downsides before they take action.

6. They don’t dwell on the past 

Mentally strong people don’t waste time dwelling on the past and wishing things could be different. They acknowledge their past and can say what they’ve learned from it. However, they don’t constantly relive bad experiences or fantasize about the glory days. Instead, they live for the present and plan for the future.

7. They don’t make the same mistakes over and over 

They accept responsibility for their behavior and learn from their past mistakes. As a result, they don’t keep repeating those mistakes over and over. Instead, they move on and make better decisions in the future.

8. They don’t resent other people’s success 

They can appreciate and celebrate other summoners skill in the game. They don’t grow jealous or feel cheated when others surpass them. Instead, they recognize that success comes with hard work, and they are willing to work hard for their own chance at success. When they play with or against a better player they adapt what that player does and learn from him. Be Humble!

9. They don’t give up after the first failure 

They don’t view failure as a reason to give up. Instead, they use failure as an opportunity to grow and improve. They are willing to keep trying until they get it right.

10. They don’t expect immediate results 

Mentally strong people don’t expect immediate results. Instead, they apply their skills and time to the best of their ability and understand that real change takes time.

We need to be open to everything and especially change. If we don’t start to change then we won’t be able to progress. We will get stuck in a place that we are already tired of.

We have to apply or use the Alternative Mindset and let’s not dwell on the past. Our usual mindset or the mindset that was planted in our minds were to go to school, do good, graduate, receives diploma, look for a job, be a good employee, marry, have a family, grow old and then die. But what if there has always been another route? What if we can always have another choice? Instead of living a life following the norm why don’t we just try and take the other way. Let’s make it habit of thinking for the Alternative solution. Let’s look at the other side of the coin and see whether it’s much better than the other side. Why don’t we just start our own business and be the employer instead of being the employee. If we think that way then we are opening to another solution. We are opening for other suggestions. Let’s not be close-minded and are one-sided looker. Always remember that we always have a choice, we will always have. Choose to be the leader of the change. We should never limit ourselves into thinking that we are only employee compatible because that is not true. Anyone can be the next CEO or the next business tycoon but we should be the one to be the next Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and many others.

There 14 ways every successful person has in common. Note that the following are ways that may help in being successful instead of being stuck up in the usual norm.

1. They know when to stay and when to leave. 

Successful people know exactly when they should change employers, start a company or fold their company. They have good intuition and aren’t afraid to make hard choices, despite opposing forces.

2. They do more than what’s asked of them. 

They view their job descriptions as just the beginning of what they can do with their job. After they’ve completed their mandatory tasks, they will always ask to take on more projects that challenge them. They are even willing to take on the tedious work that no one else wants to do in order to be a team player.

3. They are willing to fail in order to eventually succeed. 

All successful people know that it doesn’t come easy and they are bound to fail more than they will succeed at anything. They are willing to learn from each failure, as it will help them make better decisions that lead to success later. While many people give up after failing at something, a successful person will persevere.

4. They know that they make their own luck. 

Luck is derived from hard work over time and positioning yourself for success. You won’t randomly get lucky and successful people know that. They will do at least one thing every single day to put themselves in a better position to get lucky and then use that luck to grow.

5. They set real goals that they can accomplish. 

Successful people wake up and they’ve already planned their day, while unsuccessful people are scrambling to figure out what they need to do next. Their goals are very focused, big yet obtainable and are aligned to their strengths. They know what they are capable of and will invest all of their efforts in it, avoiding their weaknesses.

6. They take accountability for themselves and their actions. 

They aren’t relying on other people in order to get the job done. Instead, they are looking inwards and are trying to find the solutions, while leveraging their current assets. If they make a mistake, they own up to it and immediately think of ways that they can improve next time, not making the same mistake twice.

7. They make change instead of being affected by it. 

Successful people aren’t waiting around to be affected by economic trends. They are the ones who are creating the trends and making things happen.

8. They are able to adjust to changes in the marketplace. 

Successful people are willing to reinvent themselves to stay relevant in the business world. They understand that if you stay stagnant and ignore trends, that you will be left behind. They are constantly coming up with new ideas, searching for the next big thing and getting new skills.

9. They can communicate their story effectively. 

If you walk up to a successful person and ask them what they do, they will able to tell you everything in a concise manner. They know who they are, what they do and can make you believe in them. They have strong posture and are very persuasive and confident.

10. They ask the right questions to the people who can deliver the right answers. 

Successful people know they need to solve problems by tapping their networks. They aren’t afraid of emailing or calling the best person who can answer their questions. They are always prepared with the right questions and are always willing to help the other person out in return.

11. They are life-long learners who push themselves out of their comfort zones. 

While most people think that when they graduate college, they are finished being a student, successful people remain students. They are constantly learning new things and have new experiences. They aren’t afraid to try new activities and to fail at them.

12. They know who they are and their place in the world. 

Successful people are confident and can lead themselves, as well as others. They have their own vision and mission and seek to bring it to life on a daily basis. They also know who they aren’t and don’t waste time on things that they aren’t good at or they aren’t satisfied with.

13. They are more excited about the journey than the payout. 

Successful people ignore get rich quick schemes. They are more focused on building sustainable careers through hard work, risk taking and creativity. They enjoy the journey, despite the obstacles, because they are doing something that has meaning in their lives.

14. They create instead of just consume. 

While most people are busy reading emails, watching TV or listening to a podcast, successful people are creating new tools, presentations and coming up with ideas. They are the ones who are making things that other people need instead of being on the other end of the spectrum, consuming them.

We need to keep an open mind in things. Let’s just be reminded that every successful person have been rejected but they never give up and they have just continued to move forward.

                There were also plans on start up before however some were not very fortunate to continue their plans. Ateneo has first mentioned of having an incubation hub 10 years ago. But even if Ateneo wasn’t able to do that right that time Brokenshire College was the first College/School to start and have an incubation hub in Davao City. Their incubation hub was made out of shipping container with air conditioner. However, the hub is no longer available today. It was unfortunate that the hub closed down and was no longer available for those who are business-minded people. I hope that people from Davao City will be more than willing to expound the idea of start-ups and that we will be the next Silicon Valley.

                Davao City can be able to match Manila and Cebu in so many ways. We are a growing city and I hope that our graduates will be able to watch our back and be there to help in the growing IT Industry in our city. It is really such a waste of talent if we don’t utilize our graduates’ potential. We should help in building the Industry worth boasting for. Let’s teach our people into thinking that they don’t need to go abroad just to earn money or to land a job. Let’s teach them that they could start their own business and maybe they can build their own company. Don’t ever set a limitation because the sky is the limit. Let’s prove to everyone the truth behind the saying that, Davao Life is Here.

Which I liked most?

                Compared to the things I liked least I have a lot to list in the things that I liked most. There are things that should be noted by everyone because definitely it will be helpful in the future.

                It was exciting and fun having our first and last quiz. The part where we were taught about being business minded even in just simple things. Just like selling our yellow paper for 20 pesos. It was a simple way of practicing your mind to be able to think of a solution out of a problem. Like in that situation where we will have a quiz and we are not allowed to go out. Our classmates have extra paper and that was the opportunity. We can find opportunity through the littlest issues. Aside from the paper we also found opportunity from the selling of pens. It was a great exercise and a helpful lesson for everyone that a simple problem can give us a chance to sell products. Also there are some who are taking advantage of the current trends, problems and situations we are facing. Like some television programs, if their tv show has a lot of viewers they would sell items or merchandise such as bags, shirts, mugs and many more. The main idea is to look for an opportunity.

                After we all have papers, I also find it cool and entertaining starting and undergoing the quiz. Everyone was actually taught to listen first all the instructions before staring the quiz. The lesson was very basic you just have to follow instructions and never assume anything at all. Starting from writing our Last Name at the bottom left of our paper. Next was placing a comma at the center, top most, justified in our paper. Finally, placing our First Name at the bottom right, justified in our paper. That activity writing our name in the paper was short but a very helpful reminder especially in real life situations. We were able to have insights on how things work in the real world. That we are expected to learn to listen first before assuming and easily concluding about things.

                The following activity, which is the main activity is an eye opener to everyone. We were tasked to write nine (9) dots in the middle of the paper arranged as 3x3. We need to connect those dots using 4 strokes without even lifting our hands from the paper. Everyone was so indulged on solving the task. Some already knew the answer but the activity was still very hard for those who didn’t knew. After minutes of thinking what really the answer is we were asked for a volunteer. There were two (2) unfortunately they didn’t have the correct answer. Then someone from the class volunteered and he answered correctly. The secret to that activity was to think outside the box. Don’t dwell on the things that are right in front of you. Think faraway, look everywhere and look at every direction only then will you be able to have something unique. Don’t rely on the things you see in the front. There are more to those simple things than what you are really seeing. Look ahead and create something original, something that could pull people, and something that is really creative. People are made to ask questions and to invent something. So, let’s use that as a gateway in starting something that others hadn’t. Or innovate something that could be able to make a change for the betterment of the human life.

Here are 11 ways to beef up your out-of-the-box thinking skills. Make an effort to push your thinking up to and beyond its limit every now and again – the talents you develop may come in handy the next time you face a situation that “everybody knows” how to solve.

1. Study another industry.

I’ve learned as much about teaching from learning about marketing as I have from studying pedagogy – maybe more. Go to the library and pick up a trade magazine in an industry other than your own, or grab a few books from the library, and learn about how things are done in other industries. You might find that many of the problems people in other industries face are similar to the problems in your own, but that they’ve developed really quite different ways of dealing with them. Or you might well find new linkages between your own industry and the new one, linkages that might well be the basis of innovative partnerships in the future.

2. Learn about another religion.

Religions are the way that humans organize and understand their relationships not only with the supernatural or divine but with each other. Learning about how such relations are structured can teach you a lot about how people relate to each other and the world around them. Starting to see the reason in another religion can also help you develop mental flexibility – when you really look at all the different ways people comprehend the same mysteries, and the fact that they generally manage to survive regardless of what they believe, you start to see the limitations of whatever dogma or doxy you follow, a revelation that will transfer quite a bit into the non-religious parts of your life.

3. Take a class.

Learning a new topic will not only teach you a new set of facts and figures, it will teach you a new way of looking at and making sense of aspects of your everyday life or of the society or natural world you live in. This in turn will help expand both how you look at problems and the breadth of possible solutions you can come up with.

4. Read a novel in an unfamiliar genre.

Reading is one of the great mental stimulators in our society, but it’s easy to get into a rut. Try reading something you’d never have touched otherwise – if you read literary fiction, try a mystery or science fiction novel; if you read a lot of hard-boiled detective novels, try a romance; and so on. Pay attention not only to the story but to the particular problems the author has to deal with. For instance, how does the fantasy author bypass your normal skepticism about magic and pull you into their story? Try to connect those problems to problems you face in your own field. For example, how might your marketing team overcome your audience’s normal reticence about a new “miracle” product?

5. Write a poem.

While most problem-solving leans heavily on our brain’s logical centers, poetry neatly bridges our more rational left-brain though processes and our more creative right-brain processes. Though it may feel foolish (and getting comfortable with feeling foolish might be another way to think outside the box), try writing a poem about the problem you’re working on. Your poem doesn’t necessarily have to propose a solution – the idea is to shift your thinking away from your brain’s logic centers and into a more creative part of the brain, where it can be mulled over in a non-rational way. Remember, nobody has to ever see your poem…

6. Draw a picture.

Drawing a picture is even more right-brained, and can help break your logical left-brain’s hold on a problem the same way a poem can. Also, visualizing a problem engages other modes of thinking that we don’t normally use, bringing you another creative boost.

7. Turn it upside down.

Turning something upside-down, whether physically by flipping a piece of paper around or metaphorically by re-imagining it can help you see patterns that wouldn’t otherwise be apparent. The brain has a bunch of pattern-making habits that often obscure other, more subtle patterns at work; changing the orientation of things can hide the more obvious patterns and make other patterns emerge. For example, you might ask what a problem would look like if the least important outcome were the most important, and how you’d then try to solve it.

8. Work backwards.

Just like turning a thing upside down, working backwards breaks the brain’s normal conception of causality. This is the key to backwards planning, for example, where you start with a goal and think back through the steps needed to reach it until you get to where you are right now.

9. Ask a child for advice.

I don’t buy into the notion that children are inherently or creative before society “ruins” them, but I do know that children think and speak with an ignorance of convention that is often helpful. Ask a child how they might tackle a problem, or if you don’t have a child around think about how you might reformulate a problem so that a child could understand it if one was available. Don’t run out and build a boat made out of cookies because a child told you to, though – the idea isn’t to do what the child says, necessarily, but to jog your own thinking into a more unconventional path.

10. Invite randomness.

If you’ve ever seen video of Jackson Pollock painting, you have seen a masterful painter consciously inviting randomness into his work. Pollock exercises a great deal of control over his brushes and paddles, in the service of capturing the stray drips and splashes of paint that make up his work. Embracing mistakes and incorporating them into your projects, developing strategies that allow for random input, working amid chaotic juxtapositions of sound and form – all of these can help to move beyond everyday patterns of thinking into the sublime.

11. Take a shower.

There’s some kind of weird psychic link between showering and creativity. Who knows why? Maybe it’s because your mind is on other things, maybe it’s because you’re naked, maybe it’s the warm water relaxing you – it’s a mystery. But a lot of people swear by it. So maybe when the status quo response to some circumstance just isn’t working, try taking a shower and see if something remarkable doesn’t occur to you!

                We should always think outside the box because if you don’t you’ll get stuck in an infinite loop with the same ending over and over again. Where there’s a will there’s a way. So there will always be an alternative we will always have a choice. In our whole life we have been facing choices. And now is the time to make a choice where we start to disregard the norm. We should start to think of others ways for improvement. We can’t help getting fired up so if you can find another solution then grab it and don’t think twice.

                What I also liked most was that the Academe was born. Through the academe there are a great number of quality graduates. The graduates from the Institute of Computing (IC) in the University of the Southeastern Philippines (USEP) are really excellent in the field. We can really boast about it because there are a great number of students from the University who are working all over the Philippines and all over the World. It’s really wonderful that our University offers quality education. Students coming from IC are indeed talented and are smart.

                I also love the idea that through the academe, competition all over the world are brought here. We are introduced to a lot of new things that will be able to help us get or achieve our colleges’ vision. With the academe we are able to experience and learn a lot of things because of its advantages. Through the academe we get to have speakers all over the world to share us their experiences. To help us understand more how our industry works. Also, through the academe we get to join conferences that help students enhance their skills, creativity and knowledge.

                I admire the academe for thinking for further nourishing young people to make a change. I hope that their visions of helping students and the young become more. To be able to bring out their full potential. To be able to help the people in the future. To be able to further help in the improvement of the quality of life. I hope that the young will follow the footsteps of Dado Banatao. That they will have the same will and determination which is to follow their hearts desire and to never forget his previous life. That they will help their own people in any way that they can. 

                I liked the idea that we are starting and expanding the knowledge on start-ups. Even when the first created incubation hub in Davao City, which is from Brokenshire College, is already closed done new incubation hubs are getting prepped up. The University of Immaculate Concepcion is said to be starting their own incubation hub. The thought that we are making progress means that we are starting to build our dreams here. I think Ateneo has a hub however I’m no quiet sure if it includes the IT Industry, it was the business hub that they have right at the corner of their building facing the Marco Polo Hotel.

                I hope that our own University would get to have our own incubation hub. So that our graduates who are inspiring technopreneur are able to start up. They will be able to have a shot at doing a business and it would be a lot easier seeing that it is within the school. It would be very ideal to everyone and very beneficial for the students. The incubation hubs will be our outlet and I hope that it will be our next source of jobs for Davao City. It would be great and opportunities for everyone who are aiming to have their own business will be easier to achieve.

                The people should start to think of other ways. We should develop the technopreneur mindset and have our own business. Let’s not be mainstream and let’s take risks. We can never deny that most, only most, successful people around the globe are drop outs. They were not able to finish and take up a degree but because they took a risk they are where they are now. Most of them started in a garage and then work on it, later on, even with a lot of rejections they got what they want. They received the prize of their hard work and because of their faith they got their reward. If not for their hard work, their will and determination they would have already given up. They were rejected and still they persevered. Rejection should be taken up as a challenge and not a sign of giving up your dreams. We are living a hard life so let’s make it worth it. Don’t waste your time contemplating whether you will be successful if you try this or that. You only need to have to trust in yourself and believe in your vision. Believe that what you are doing can be a benefit for everyone. That it could solve problems. Ideas are made to provide a solution to a problem. We are the dreamers that’s why we are the ones which are expected to provide a solution. We are creative, talented, and smart and we make a difference. We will be our future.

Source:

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/11-ways-to-think-outside-the-box.html

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/250239/economy/business/why-many-fresh-college-grads-don-t-get-hired-according-to-survey-of-managers 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2013/12/17/14-things-every-successful-person-has-in-common/